Join Our Newsletter

Follow the voyage

Take the voyage with us. Stay up to date by looking at our itinerary, checking in with the ship tracker and following us on social media.

The 2017-2018 itinerary is an exciting one that offers our crew the opportunity to visit 20 ports on 4 continents. We will explore some of the world’s most interesting cultures and natural settings in Europe, the Mediterranean, Africa, the Caribbean and South America.

The year will begin on September 10, 2017 in Amsterdam, The Netherlands and finish with our grand arrival in Amsterdam, The Netherlands on May 29, 2018 and graduation on May 30, 2018.

Read the full itinerary 2017-2018

Semester 1

Our crew will meet each other in Amsterdam, Netherlands and move into their new home, the Gulden Leeuw. Parents are invited to meet with our faculty, mariner crew and school leadership team, while students will attend orientation, sail training and safety preparation sessions. Students will assist our mariner crew and faculty with final ship preparations before our grand departure. Students and families will have the opportunity to independently explore this beautiful and historic canal city.

Agadir is rich with the vibrant colour and energy of Moroccan street life, Souks and mosques. Our crew will leave their ship behind for a 4-day trek into the Sahara Desert, crossing the Atlas Mountains, and stopping in ancient villages along the way. In the desert, we will form a Class Afloat camel train for a safari into the Sahara. Upon arrival at a Bedouin desert camp, students will be treated to dinner and an evening of dancing around the bonfire before settling into a night under the desert stars. Long before dawn, we will climb the tallest sand dune to watch the sunrise over the Sahara – an incredible lifelong memory.

In Dakar, our students will participate in Class Afloat’s West Africa Initiative. For many years, Class Afloat has partnered with SYTO (Senegal Youth Travel Organization), SOS Children’s Villages, and the American Peace Corps and undertaken various service learning projects alongside local Senegalese youth. This port visit, and the meaningful experiences our students have, is always a highlight for Class Afloat students.

Fernando de Noronha is an archipelago of 21 islands, designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The largest island is only 18 square kilometres in size. The ship will anchor off the coast and each morning will begin with a swim call, when we usually see large pods of dolphins swimming by and leaping through the water. Students will explore this island oasis, learning from the local residents, hiking the island’s cliffs, snorkelling and scuba diving among the sea life and visiting the spectacular beaches.

Students will begin their semester break after arriving in Bridgetown, Barbados, the island's largest and most vibrant city. This historic city is now recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with plenty for our adventurous crew to explore.

SEMESTER BREAK – JANUARY 25th, 2018 - February 2nd, 2018

SEMESTER 2

Our crew will reunite in the spectacular city of Bridgetown after their semester break. They will spend a few days exploring the city, getting to know our new semester two students and reorienting themselves with safety and sail training sessions before departing for the second half of our year at sea.

Samana is located in the Northeastern part of the Caribbean tropical island of the Dominican Republic. While in the Dominican Republic each year, Class Afloat partners with Fundacion Mahatma Ghandi, and carries out valuable service projects in the small town of Las Terrenas. Past projects have included building school playgrounds, developing community gardens, and painting schools and houses. After these projects are completed, the crew will hike into the Limon Waterfall and swim in the large pool at the base of the falls.